01 19th century literature --romanticism and words

EnglishRomanticismRomanticismaliterarymovementwhichtookplaceinBritainandthroughoutEuropeinthelatterpartofthe18thcandearly19thc.EnglishRomanticismIntellectuallyitmarkedaviolentreactiontotheEnlightenment.PoliticallyitwasinspiredbytherevolutionsinFranceandAmericaandpopularwarsofindependenceinPoland,Spain,Greece,andelsewhere.Emotionallyitexpressedanextremeassertionoftheselfandthevalueofindividualexperience.Sociallyitchampionedprogressivecauses,thoughwhenthesewerefrustrateditoftenproducedabitter,gloomy,anddespairingoutlook.EnglishRomanticismTheRomanticmovementexpressedamoreorlessnegativeattitudetowardthedevelopmentofcapitalism,andLiteratureofthisschoolexpressedthethinkingandfeelingsofthosewhowerediscontentedwiththesocialandpoliticalconditionsthatcamewithindustrialization.EnglishRomanticismAsaliterarymovement,RomanticismcameasarevoltagainstNeoclassicism.Itwas,ineffect,arevoltoftheEnglishimaginationagainsttheneoclassicalreason.EnglishRomanticismTheRomanticAgebeganin1798whenWilliamWordsworthandSamuelTaylorColeridgepublishedLyricalBallads,[inthePrefaceofthe2ndand3rdeditionsofwhichWordsworthlaiddowntheprinciplesofpoetrycomposition,]andendedin1832whenWalterScott(1771-1832)died.EnglishRomanticismThegloryoftheageisnotablyseeninthePoetryofWordsworth,Coleridge,Byron,ShelleyandKeats,whoweregroupedintotwogenerations:thefirstgeneration(PassiveRomanticpoets)representedbytheLakePoets—Wordsworth,Coleridge(andSouthey)andthesecondgeneration(Active/RevolutionaryRomanticpoets)representedbythoseyoungerpoets—Byron,ShelleyandKeatsEnglishRomanticismPassiveRomanticpoetsreflectedthoseclasseswhichhadbeenruinedbythebourgeoisie,butlatergrewconservativeandturnedtothefeudalpastandidealizedthelifeoftheMiddleAgestoprotestagainstcapitalistdevelopmentEnglishRomanticismActive/RevolutionaryRomanticpoetsboreadeephatredforthewickedexploitersandoppressorsandhadanintensiveloveforlibertyfirmsupportersofFrenchRevolution,whoexpressedtheaspirationofthelaboringclassesandsetthemselvesagainstthebourgeoissocietyandtherulingclassEnglishRomanticismWomennovelistsappearedinthisperiodandassumedforthefirsttimeanimportantplaceinEnglishliterature.MrsAnnRadcliffe(1764-1823)wasoneofthemostsuccessfulwritersoftheschoolofGothicnovel.(violence,horrorandthesupernatural,toexplorethedark,irrationalsideofhumannature;settingsfixedinancientcastlesandabbeys).JaneAustenofferedushercharmingdescriptionsofeverydaylifeinherenduringwork.ThegreatesthistoricalnovelistSirWalterScottalsoappearedinthisperiod.EnglishRomanticismRomanticproseoftheperiodCharlesLamb(1775-1834),WilliamHazlitt(1778-1830),ThomasDeQuincey(1785-1859)andDavidHume(1711-76)EnglishRomanticismFeaturesofRomanticwriting1)TheRomanticists'ownaspirationandidealsareinsharpcontrasttothecommonsordiddailylifeundercapitalism.Theirwritingsarefilledwithstrong-willedheroes,formidableeventsandtragicsituations,powerfulconflictingpassionsandexoticpictures.Theirwritingsaremarkedbystrongfeelingsandfantasticimagination.Sometimestheyresortedtosymbolicmethods,withtheactiveromanticists,symbolicpicturesrepresentavagueidealofsomefuturesociety;whilewiththepassiveromanticists,thesepicturesoftentakeonamysticcolor.EnglishRomanticism2)Theromanticistspaidgreatattentiontothespiritualandemotionallifeofman.Personifiednatureplaysanimportantroleinthepagesoftheirworks.Terror,passion,andtheSublime(anideaassociatedwithreligiousawe,vastness,naturalmagnificence,andstrongemotionwhichfascinated18th-centuryliterarycriticsandaestheticians)areessentialconceptsinearlyRomanticismEnglishRomanticism3)Theromanticswereinterestedinthepast,theexotic,theprimitiveanduncivilizedwayoflife;theyrejectedtherecentpast(18thC)andreturnedtotheprimitiveliterature(theoldsaga,legends,classicalmythologies,medievalromances,orientalstories)forinspirationandmodels.ThetoneofRomanticismwasoftensentimentalormelancholy.Rememberedchildhood,unrequitedlove,andtheexiledherowereconstantthemes.EnglishRomanticism4)Romanticismexpressedanunendingrevoltagainstclassicalform(againstthebondageofrulesandconventions),conservativemorality,authoritariangovernment,personalinsincerity,andhumanmoderation.TheRomanticssawandfeltthingsinfreshways.Theywereloversofnature,oftheuntamedwildlandscape.Theywerestrenuouswalkers,hill-climbers,sea-bathers,orriver-lovers.Theyhadanewintuitionfortheprimalpowerofthewildlandscape,thespiritualcorrespondencebetweenManandNature.EnglishRomanticismThepublicationofTheLyricalBalladsin1798markedthebeginningofRomanticmovementinEngland.Theprefacetothesecondeditionin1800isregardedasthedeclarationofRomanticism;declaredtheprinciplesofpoeticcreation.（一篇小文，却是摧毁18世纪古典主义的炸药！）EnglishRomanticismThemainpointsofWordsworth’spoetictheory（alsotheRomanticpoetictheory）:1.Goodpoetryisthespontaneousoverflowofpowerfulfeelings;herejectstheneoclassicalemphasisonreasonandformandanintellectualapproachinpoetrywriting;hebelievesthatthesourceofpoetictruthisdirectexperienceofthesenses;goodpoetryisthedeepest,purestandsimplestfeelingofman.EnglishRomanticism2.Commonlifeassubject;scenesandeve